Vehicles may be equipped with bumper systems and impact protection structures that elastically and plastically deform to absorb energy in the event of a collision. When a vehicle impacts an object that is offset from the centerline of the vehicle such that the object overlaps only a portion of the bumper, the ability of the energy absorbing structures of the vehicle to absorb energy associated with the impact may be reduced. In some impact configurations, the energy absorbing structures of the vehicle may not be activated or may only be partially activated because the object does not come into contact with or only partially comes into contact with associated bumper or vehicle structures. Therefore, the energy absorbing structures of the vehicle may have a reduced effect on the dissipation of the energy of the impact.
In one example, a substantial portion of energy from an impact with a small front bumper overlap may be directed into a bumper assembly at a position that is outboard of energy absorbing structures of the vehicle. Because a substantial portion of the energy from the impact is directed into the bumper assembly at a position that is outboard of many of the energy absorbing structures of the vehicle, the energy from the impact may not be absorbed or may only be partially absorbed by those energy absorbing structures of the vehicle. The unabsorbed energy may be directed rearward along the vehicle structures and toward a cabin of the vehicle.
Accordingly, a need exists for alternative structures for transferring energy and absorbing energy from a small front bumper overlap collision.